What A Stud

I was wandering down Lafayette with my camera and happened to pass the Bess shop with its enticing rows of studded combat boots. I love how such functional objects have been made a little frivolous with all that excess studding, yet they're still displayed like utilitarian goods! Plus, they just look really cool.



The aforementioned boots styled to perfection in Bess' Fall/Winter 2010 look book (photograph by Dom Smith):



After taking that first picture, it seemed like the punk references were showing up everywhere. I wandered around taking some photos of the downtown atmosphere:











And a couple days later I bought a copy of V Magazine's Fall 2010 issue, which featured Agyness Deyn in an amazing "St. Marks Place" story. Again, the studded boots appear!



Punk and Goth style boots do seem to be everywhere lately, but honestly I never get sick of them. A few of my favorites:

Grunge Fairies

Charlotte Ronson's s/s 2011 show was like a trip back to 1996 for me, to 8th grade to be exact. Her sister Samantha was spinning some sweet mid-90s tunes, as well as some slightly earlier jams ( Rolling Stones "Beast of Burden" anyone?), causing a general rocking-out among the large, celebrity- smattered crowd. I think the cool grunge-inspired clothes made us wanna rock out just as much...

The vibe was slightly badass, definitely laid back, but not without a nod to the feminine. Strutting down the runway in slouchy grunge style stocking caps, the models made me wish I was that cool (or that it was cold enough to wear a hat..)

A few of my favorite looks from the collection:







All those flannel shirts tied around the waist and long denim dresses had me thinking of something...



My So-Called Life was a seriously important show for my generation and while I can't really remember why Jordan couldn't read, I certainly can't forget all the amazing grunge style that moodily sulked on my tv screen. Angela was pure flannel magic, but Rayanne had the fashion guts in that friendship. Clashing patterns, crazy jewelry, and more holes that you can count.



I seem to recall Rayanne also wearing a long flannel bathrobe as a coat. Perhaps that was the inspiration for this oversized red flannel delight. And what could be more laid back cool than wearing nothing but an oversized drapey tie-dyed t-shirt? Spring 2011 is shaping up to be very comfortable indeed.



We all know the 90s have been making a comeback, but New York Fashion week just made it a little more real to me. A perfect example: at the Marc Jacobs show, Courtney Love was overheard to comment on a woman's babydoll dress saying "that is so 90s me." Yes, Courtney, yes it is. And I think we'll be seeing a hell of a lot more of it very soon.